19 



The back of the box facing the window, was removable, 

 so that all that transpired, as the parents fed the five little 

 birds, could be plainly watched at a distance of but two 

 feet. The value of a family of these birds on the premises 

 is easily seen from the fact that all shrubs and plants about 

 the house were kept entirely free from plant lice during 

 the season. 



Fig. 13. Cacities in orchard trees make fine nesting places. 



You will notice, by one of the accompanying pictures, 

 that the Chickadees were not in the least afraid, but came 

 and went even though they were being watched at close 

 range. The little ones left the nest shortly after this pic- 

 ture was taken, flying first to Mr. Forbush's shoulder, then 

 to his hat and thence out into the wide, wide world. 



Chickadees can easily be induced to remain about farm 

 houses in summer if they are occasionally fed during the 

 winter, when food is scarce or difficult to obtain. Even if 

 the orchard contains no trees with decayed limbs, in which 

 they can nest, they will remain if you wire short sections 

 of decayed birches to some of the trees. 



